Chapter 646: Face Off

Eye shearing blue white lightning bolts arc across the hall and struck the hulking War Jack. Sparks sprayed out from the impact of the spells, leaving behind scorched marks from the armour plating. Valiant soldiers rammed dragon lances against the War Jack, but their efforts were for nought as they could barely come into reach to stab their weapons into the rampaging steam golem.

"Do not fear death! For death is the only way for thy sins to be Judged!" The hollow voice of the Chief Inquisitor blared out from the helmet head of the Inquisition War Jack. The War Jack was like a painter as Nerssia swept the spiked wrecking ball around which torn up the exquisite carpets and marble floor and sent gore flying everywhere, painting the walls with grotesqueness art.

An Iron Kingdom general armed with a dragon lance in each hand, timed his charge just after the sweep of the spiked ball. With support spells cast by the few mages still standing, the general weaved his way through the soldiers and leapt over their heads. He dodged the returning backhand sweep of the spiked ball and rammed both dragon lances into the right leg just below the knee.

The three and a half meter long spears with a yellow white spearhead crafted out of a dragon's fang and enchanted with sharpness spells that were originally used to hunt dragons sank smoothly all the way into the wings. As the general was about the pull the dragon lances out, a massive fist came flying right at him.

The general dodged backwards but was too slow to avoid the fist. A rainbow bubble surrounded the general as he was sent flying back and crashing into the rows of soldiers behind. Nerssia pulled the dragon lances out and snapped them like twigs. Steam hissed out from the ripped in the armour and some black fluid oozed out as well.

She stormed over angrily to the downed general and slammed the wrecking ball downwards continuously as she vented her anger, the force of the impacts popped the already weakened magic barrier and shattered the steam armour of the general, yet she did not as she continued pulverizing the body. "HERETIC. SCUM. DARE. TO. SOIL. ME?"

Her crazed actions caused the Iron Kingdom soldiers to back away from her, as fear gripped their hearts. Already she had killed hundreds and many of those that died in her hands do not even have enough recognizable parts to even fill a bag. Even the Iron King felt a deep sense of foreboding as he stared at the War Jack.

He took a deep breath, smelling the iron and sweat in the air as he held his great sword vertical to his body. He had a sudden feeling that his second lease of life was just for this very moment to face off against the Protectorate. Steeling his nerves, the Iron King strolled forward with his retinue alongside him. "For my sons and for the Iron Kingdom!"

Seeing the Iron King approach, Chief Inquisitor Nerssia laughed as she turned to face him. "Have you come to beg for your sins to be judged, my pathetic lawless king?"

"No! I have come to stop you!" The Iron King growled and without more words, he charged forward, his greatsword hissing as he activated the heat blade.

"FOOL!" Nerssia blocked the sword with her mangled shield and knocked the Iron King back with her sheer size and mass. She stormed forward and swung her flail downwards at the Iron King with full force only to be blocked by a pair of overlapping shields of the Iron King's lifeguards.

With a mighty boom, both shields were bent beyond use and both lifeguards were knocked off their feet. Nerssia cursed as she drew back her chained spike wrecking ball when several of the Iron Kingdom generals suddenly flanked her from behind. Metal moaned and steam hissed as dragon lances pierced the armour of the War Jack. Some of the spearheads missed vitals, while others sliced into pipes and clockwork.

Instantly, Nerssia could feel her controls become sluggish. Yet that did not deter her attacks, as she whipped her flail around her, creating a lethal zone around her. Those too slow to dodge were sent flying back, their magical barriers flickering wildly. She raised her shield arm and white steam burst out from two hoses in a mighty stream at the dodging enemy, "DIE YOU HERETICS! I SHALL CLEANSE YOU FILTH FOR JUDGEMENT!"

The Iron King and his retinue in steam armour quickly clamped down their helmets to protect themselves from the super heated gas, while the common soldiers without the benefit of the heavy armour could only fall back away from the steam. Instantly, the perimeter between the two sides was widened with the Inquisition War Jack doing a sort of dance alone in the middle of the cathedral hall surrounded by soldiers as it attempted to remove the lances that jammed its clockwork gears in its back.

"How long more before the steam cannon is moved here?" The Iron King asked softly as he was helped up. Despite recovering to the prime of his life from the witch's magic, his body and bones still ached from the impact. He rotated his shoulders and raised his greatsword up again, ready to battle the mechanical monster that was thrice his height and size.

"Your Majesty," One of the generals with blood on his lips replied. "They need at least another quarter of the sandglass to get here!"

The Iron King took a quick glance at the rear of the hall where he had quietly sent orders to move a steam cannon down from the nearest battlement to be set up and took another deep breath. "Then we shall buy as much time as we can!"

"Launch the dragon lances from far! Quickly while that monster is still distracted!" He ordered as he stepped forward, his regal bearing not diminishing. The soldiers and generals in heavy steam armour quickly picked up the dragon lances and braced them over their shoulders. Pressure tanks in their armour drained rapidly as the steam was gathered into the arm. "LOOSE!"

"HAA!" The soldiers cried out in unison as they flung the dragon lances out. Pressurized steam popped and hissed out from arm joints as they boosted the lances into the air.

Over a dozen dragon lances flashed out and slammed into the Nerssia's War Jack. Some dug deep into its armour and further caused damage to its systems, others were bounced off by its flailing shield. "Again!"

Nerssia finally gave up, the War Jack's ape like arms was not designed to reach behind its back to pull people sized spears out. She sensed the danger of the dragon lances and knew if she failed to kill the Iron King right now, it could mean her defeat!

She urged the suspended husk piloting the War Jack to charge forward. The former zealot turned zombie pilot, suspended inside a tank of soup of alchemical concoction groaned bubbly as it followed the orders. The War Jack stormed forward but was clearly slower as the toil of damages and leaking steam was starting to show.

Shield walls formed by common soldiers were once again proven to be ineffective and a waste of lives as gallant soldiers attempted to stop the War Jack that was at least five times their size. Even shield walls formed by heavy steam armour were at best barely about to hold against the charge of a War Jack, the soft bodies of the soldiers were sent flying like broken dolls.

Another volley of dragon lances shot out from behind the dying soldiers. The War Jack halted momentarily to raise both arms and shields to protect its vital parts before it continued forward, ignoring the common soldiers, all the while dragging the chained spike ball along the blood stained floor, leaving behind a line of grooves.

"Flank it!" The Iron King ordered as he stepped forward to face off against the War Jack again. His retinue spread out in a circle, carrying the last of the dragon lances. The Iron King leapt forward with his greatsword raised over his head and brought the blade down with all his might. The War Jack would have stepped away if it was still in prime condition, but now it could only bring up its battered shield to block the strike.

With a mighty clang, the attack was blocked. The War Jack threw a fist in response, only to be blocked by the shields of the Iron King's lifeguards once more. Frustrated, Nerssia screamed at the pilot husk to destroy them all. Super heated gas burst out from the steam thrower underneath the fist and the steam washed over the two lifeguards.

Doing their best to block the heat, both lifeguards were still forced backwards as their shields and armour were quickly overwhelmed by the direct heat. Finally unable to take the heat anymore, both lifeguards crumpled down screaming as they were slowly boiled alive in their armour. The Iron King cursed and mouthed a quick prayer for his loyal guards before he charged forward again, sweeping his greatsword in an arc and chopped through the armour plating housing the steam throwers in vengeance causing steam to rupture out uncontrollably.

The others also took the sacrifice of the two lifeguards in good use as they once again flanked the War Jack from all sides. They aimed at the leg joints of the War Jack and succeed in dealing enough damage in the right knee to force the War Jack to kneel down heavily. Seeing victory at hand, the soldiers charged in, as they attempted to swarm the War Jack.

The Iron King also charged in, his greatsword trailing heat pierced right into the mouth grills of the massive helmet head of the War Jack. As he drew his blade out, black fluid spurt out in gushes and his eyes suddenly widened in shock. He stared into the cold and triumphant eyes of the Chief Inquisitor Nerssia who had wielded a heat lance and the weapon was currently punched deep into his armour.

He coughed out blood and collapsed as Nerssia ripped her heat lance out with a shower of steam and blood. Nerssia ignored the shock that rippled through the Iron Kingdom soldiers who witnessed the fall of their King as she climbed out from a small hatch just below the helmet head of the dying War Jack.

"Your time for Judgement is at hand, old man!" Nerssia declared as she stood over the Iron King. Seeing the Iron King no longer able to respond, she turned her attention away and looked around her surroundings with an unafraid smirk and shouted, "JUDGEMENT IS HERE!"

"KILL HER!" The angry soldiers cried out as they swarmed forward. "Revenge for the King!"

"What a disorderly mob!" Nerssia still unafraid commented as she climbed up back into the downed War Jack before she ordered the husk. "You! Hurry up and move!"

The War Jack groaned and hissed as it limped its way towards the cathedral doors. The normal weapons of the common soldiers barely even left a dent on its armour, while the dragon lances used by the heavy infantry were depleted. The soldiers could only helpless watch the villainess who had killed their King made her way slowly away.

"Clear the way!" Suddenly a shout came from the rear of the hall and the soldiers parted, revealing a snubby nose cannon that looked like a wine bottle. Pipes and hoses covered its rear were fussed over by a group of cannon crew while an anti armour projectile was already loaded into the muzzle. "Clear the way!"

With a loud hiss pop and a great cloud of steam that scalded anyone too close, the projectile bolt flashed across the two hundred meter hall and smashed through the side of the limping War Jack, gouging out a massive chunk of metal and fluids, sending the remains of the War Jack crashing into the side of the cathedral doors.

"IRON FOR IRON!"